Drying apparatus



July 5 1926.

R. J. RANDOLPH DRYING APPARATUS i l Filed August 12, 1921 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 MWIY ' July 6 1926.

R. J. RANDOLPH DRYING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 o i i l Filed August 12. 1921 July 6 1926.

- 1 1,591,102 R. J. RANDOLPH- DfiYING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Shea! :5

' Original Filed ugust 12, 19,21

Patented July 6, 1926.

UNITED STATES REUBEN J. RANDOLPH, OF HAYWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

DRYING APPARATUS.

Application filed August .12, 1921, Serial-No. 491,809. Renewed November 28, 1925. I

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for drying a continuous strip or web of paper or similar mate'- rial, and more particularly for drying wall paper or coated paper while the same is in course of manufacture.

The'primary object of the invention is to provide novel and improved apparatus whereby the grounding and rinting operations employed in the manu aoture of wall paper or coated paper with any preparation which necessitates drying may be performed rapidly and continuously and in snob manner that the printing operation 111 quickly succeed the grounding operation an preferably these two operations may be performed during a single passage of the paper strip or web through the apparatus, thus minimizing the amount of handling of the strip or web necessary for the performance of these operations and saving much time,

resulting in increased capacity of the apparatus.

One feature of theapparatus consists in providing novel and improved drying means which receives the paper strip or web from the grounding 'machine and functions to properly dry the same, immediately following which the grounded web is conducted to the printing machine which prints the patterns or figures on the web, the latter passing from the printing machine to drying means which dries the printed pattern and delivers the dried web to a suitable rolling device in condition to be rolled thereon. The drying means are so constructed and operative that the travelling web is quickly, thoroughly and uniformly dried.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing devices for automatically threading'the leading end of each paper web from the grounding machine through the drying meansto the printin machine and the rolling device, thus avoi ing delay and other disadvantages incident to manual threading of each paper web through the apparatus.

Other features of the invention consist in providing open mesh woven or other wire cloth or fabric conveyers for supporting and conducting the paper web through the drying means to accelerate and facilitate drying thereof, the web-supporting sides of the conveyers being supported by idler rolls mounted on anti-friction Ibearings to insure regular advance of the conveyers with mini- K in section;

Figure 1 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the rolling end of the "machine;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of one end of the drying means; i

.Figure 2 shows the opposite end of the drying means illustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view in top plan of the end of the drying means shown in Figure 2;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view in top plan of the end of the drying means shown in Figure 2*;

Figure 4 represents, on an enlarged scale, a transverse section through the drying means with the conveyers and related parts omitted; 1

Figure 5 represents a transverse section through the drying means showing the conveyers and heating devices, but omitting the enclosing casing; and I p Figure 6 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale showing the preferred construction of the conveyer and the anti-friction mounting. for one of the idler rolls.

Fig. 7 is a detail View of the driving means for the threader rollers.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the severalwiews.

The present invention is applicable to all situations or installations where it is deaccompanying drawings as applied to an apparatus of this character and it will be so described hereinafter. It is to "be understood, however, that the invention is not restricted to the precise construction shown,

as equivalent constructions and analogous applications of the invention are contemplated and these will be included within the scope of the claims.

In the present instances, 1 represents genorally a grounding machinev which may be of the conventional type employed to apply the ground to the paper as the first step in the manufacture of wall paper or coated paper, the strip or web of paper being supplied to the grounding machine from a roll 2 which feeds the paper strip or web to a conveyer 3. This conveyer is suitably driven so that its upper side will travel toward the paper-receiving end of the rounding machine, .thus assisting in fee ing the paper strip or web to the grounding machine in the direction indicated by the arrow, the paper strip or web being designated'X.

The paper strip or web, as it discharges from the grounding machine, bears the ground in a wet condition on its upper surface and the paper strip or web is received at this point by a conveyer 4, the ends of which pass over rollers 5 and 6 and the intermediate portions of which may be supported and guided by appropriately-spaced idler. rolls 7. Idler rolls 8 are also pref-- erably providedi'so that the major portion of this conveyer 4 may lie horizontally,

I while its end adjacent to the grounding machine may be inclined, to bring this'end of the conveyer to approximately the same level with the grounding machine and thus facilitate the transfer of the paper strip or web from the grounding machine to the receiving end of this conveyer.

Another conveyer 9 is preferably located above the conveyer 4' and it is adapted to receive the paper strip or web from the conveyer 4 and to impart a reverse movement to the strip or web, thus bringing the paper strip or web to a position to be received by the printing machine, which latter is designated 10 and may be of the conventional form used in the manufacture of wall paper. The conveyer 9 is supported at its ends by rollers 11 and 12 and it may also be supported at intermediate points by appropriately spaced idler rolls 7. Other idler rolls 13 are also provided for this conveyer 9 so that the roller 11 at the delivery end of this conveyer may be located below the level of the remainder of the conveyer, thus bringing the delivery end of the conveyer to approximately the level of the receiving end of the printing machine. Means is provided by the present invention for-automatically threading'the leading end of the paper strip or web from the lower conve er 4 to the upper conveyer 9, this threa ing operation requiring the bending back or doubling of the paper strip or web. Preferably and as shown particularly in Figure 1, this threading means comprises a (.letlector plate 14 which is mounted preferably m'relatively fixed position above the roller 6 of the 'lower'conveyer 4, with its lower edge in close proximity to the upper side of conveyer and the threading means also comprises a pair of rollers 15 which are preferably provided on their peripheries with circumferentially spaced axially extending ribs, these rollers being mounted above the upper edge of the deflector plate 14 opposite to the outer side of the roller 12 of the upper'conveyer 9, these rollers 15, moreover, being appropriately driven so that they revolve concurrently in the direction indicated by the arrows. When the leading end of a paper strip or web is placed on the upper side of the conveyer 4, the latter traveling toward the right in Figures 1 and 1*, will carry the web forward in the direction indicated by the solid arrows until the leadthe leading end of the paper strip 'or web upwardly toward the passage between the roller 12 and the ribbed rollers 15 and" these ribbed rollers will strike the uplifted end of the strip or web and thus cause it to enter the passageway and to bend around the roller 12 of the conveyer 9. As the paper strip or web continues to advance under the influence of the lower conveyer 4, aided by the rollers 12 and 15,- the leading end of the strip or web will come to rest on the upper side of the conveyer 9 which is moving in an opposite direction to the direction of movement of the upper side of the lower conveyer 4. The strip or web will thus be advanced by -the conveyer 9 until it reaches the delivery end of this conveyer, at which point the paper strip or. web having the ground applied thereto will have been dried by the, action of the drying means which will be hereinafter described. The i strip or Web is then delivered tothe upper side of the conveyer 16 which moves in a direction to advance the strip or web in the direction indicated by the arrow, thus feed.

or web is delivered from the printing machine onto a third or upper conveyer 17 which operates to advance the Web toward the opposite end of the machine for rolling when dry. ;This upper-conveyer is mounted. at its ends on rollers 18 and 19 and it may be supported at intervals in its length by ap propriately-spaced idler rolls 7. Idler rolls 20 are preferably provided over which the upper and-lower sides of this conveyer pass at an angle, thus enabling the end roller 18 to be located at a sufliciently low level to facilitate transfer of the printed strip or web from the printing machine to this upper conveyer. The printed strip or web is preferably delivered from the'printing machine to the upper conveyer by an intermediate conveyer 21 which is mounted on end rollers 22 and 23 and passes over int ermediate rollers 24 which cause the strip or web to be delivered downwardly from the conveyer 21 onto the upper surface of the conveyer 17. 'The paper strip or web which is caused to travel in the direction of the solid arrows (Figure 1) bythe upper conveyer is delivered by suitable rolling means such, for example, as that technically known in the art as a rolling-girl. According to thepresent invention, a threading device is provided for insuring the correct delivery of the paper strip or web from the upper conveyer to the rolling device. Preferably and as shown, a pair of ribbed rollers 25 are provided for this purpose, they being mounted slightly beyond the delivery end of the upper conveyer 17 in line to receive the leading end of the paper strip or web and these ribbed rollers are driven in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1*, whereby the leading end of the paper strip or web will be engaged by the rollers 25 and deflected downwardly so that it will engage the upper surface of a conveyer 26 mounted on end rollers 27 and 28. This conveyer 26 will advance the paper strip or webin the direction indicated by the arrow, and the grounded and printed paper strip or web which will have been dried before reaching this point, by the drying means to be hereinafter described, is delivered through the medium of an intermediate con- -veyer 29 located opposite to the lower or delivery end of the conveyer 26'onto a conveyer 30 which is mounted on end rollers 31 and 32 and serves to advance the dried and completed wall paper to the rolling-girl orother suitable rolling device According to the present invention, means is provided for thoroughly, quickly and uniformly drying the paper strip or web after it leaves the grounding machine and prior to its delivery to the printingmachine and also after the paper strip or web has been printed by the printing machine and prior to its delivery to the rolling device. Preferably, the conveyors, 4, 9. and 17 operate in individual drying chambers or ducts and means is provided for supplying heat to the interiors of these chambers or ducts and for creating a flow of heated air therethrough. As shown and as preferred, the conveyers are mounted in superposed relation and the group of conveyers is enclosed by side walls SH and top and bottom walls 35, these walls being preferably composed of suitable heat insulating material or provided with a suitable heat insulating covering. horizontal partitions 36 forming individual drying chambers or ducts for the conveyers 4, 9 and 17 respectively. Hangers 37 may be suspended from overhead beams of a mill and thus provide supports for the drying apparatus and these hangers may also be employed advantageously as mountings for the idler rolls 7 of the different conveyers, as is shown in Figure 5. Suitably located steam pipes or coils 38 are preferably provided in the different drying chambers or ducts. In order to facilitate circulation of heated air around the paper strip or web in order to insure even movement of each conveyer and avoid distortion during its travel, the idler rolls 7 of the different conveyers are preferably mounted on ball bearings 40 or equivalent anti-friction bearings, as shown in'detail in Figure 6.

In the preferred embodiment of'the invention, air which has preferably been warmed, from a suitable source is forced into the upper drying chamber or duct which contains the conveyor 17, by a blower attached to the air supply inlet t1. The supply air thus introduced into the uppermost drying chamber or duct travels longitudinally thereof and toward the left in Figures 2 and 2 until it reaches an exhaust conduit 42 which exhaust conduit is preferably provided with an exhaust fan or equivalent means which draws the air from the lefthand end of this drying chamber or duct. To assist the drying action and the circulation of the drying air through the drying chamber or duct, one or more so-called boosters 43 may be provided, if desirable. for forcing air from the atmosphere. or other parts of the drying system, into the drying chamber or duct in the direction in which the air within the drying chamber or duct is moving. Supply air from a suitable source is introduced into the left-hand end of the intermediate drying chamber or duct which contains the conveyer 9. by a blower or equivalent means ll and this air. upon reaching the right-hand end of such drying chamber or duct is transferred by the conduit- 45 to the right-hand end of the lowermost drying chamber 01' duct which contains the conveyer 4, the air being thus caused to double upon itself and to travel toward the left in the lowermost drying chamber until it reaches the conduit 46 which communicates with the exhaust conduit 42, the air from the lowermost drying chamber being thus drawn from its lefthand end. Boosters l7 and 48 similar to the I veyer 4 and other air used in the compart- 'ment of conveyer 4, or that the direction of circulation may be reversed in any or all compartments and thatany proportion of return air or fresh air may be used throughout any one of the compartments. It will also be understood that the walls of the drying chambers or ducts may be provided with doors or movable panels to permit ready access to the interiors of the drying chambers, and inspection openings 50 cover ed by glass or other transparent medium may be provided at suitable intervals in the lengths of the drying chambers or ducts to enable inspection of the web during its travel through the drying means.

Fig. 7 illustrates one mode of driving the threader rol1ers 15, and 25, 25. In this instance, the roller 19 of the conveyer 17 is provided with a belt pulley 50 with which a crossed belt 51 cooperates, this belt driving a pulley 52 in a direction the reverse of that in which the roller 19 revolves. Other belts 53 and 54 serve to drive the threader rollers 25, concurrently in the direction indicated by the arrows. The threader rollers 15, 15 are preferably similarly driven from the roller 42 of the conveyer 9 and in the direction indicated by the arrows. Any suitable or well known means may be provided for driving the conveyers 4, 9 and 17 and the auxiliary conveyers 16, 21, 26 and 29 in the proper directions and at the proper relative speed and for driving the grounding machine 1, printing machine 10 and the rolling device 30in proper timed relation with the conveyers, and hence illustration of any particular driving means for this purpose is thought unnecessary.

The apparatus hereinbefore described comprises one complete unit of the machine and it is to be understood that any desired -number ofthese units may be used to make up a machine, it being only necessary to duplicate the unit heretofore ,described, the units being preferably arranged side-by side, and exhaust conduit 42 may be used as a common exhaust for the outlets of thenppermost' drying chambers or ducts and also the auxiliary exhaust conduits 46 which lead from the outlets of the lowermost drying chambers or ducts. Likewise, the blowers 41 and 44 may be connected in common to supply the drying air to the respective drying chambers or ducts of the different units.

The present invention provides apparatus capable of rapidly, thoroughly and uniformly drying a strip or Web of paper or other material and it is particularly applicable to the manufacture of wall paper or coated paper, it enabling the printing operation in the manufacture of Wall paper, to be performed promptly after the grounding operation and by a single continuous passage of the paper strip or web through the machine, and moreover, the finished paper will be ready for rolling, reeling or cutting. up promptly after the performance of the printing operation or the coating operation. By supporting the wet grounded or printed paper strip or web on an open mesh woven wire or other open mesh fabric while subjecting the same tothe action of the drying air, the circulation of the drying air over and around the paper strip is facilitated and hence the drying action is greatly promoted.

By providing automatic threading means for properly conducting the leading end of a paper strip or web through the different elements of the machine, manual handling of the strip or web is reduced to a minimum thus effecting a substantial saving in time, labor and waste material.

I claim as my invention 1. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a pair of superposed conveyers operative to advance a strip or web in reverse directions, of means for removing the strip or web from one of the conveyers the strip thus directing it onto the receving end of the other conveyer.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a pair of. superposed conveyers operative to advance a strip or web successively in opposite directions, of

means for lifting the strip or web from the lower conveyer as saidstrip approaches the delivery end of such conveyer, and means arranged to receive the lifted strip and operative to deflect the same onto the upper surface of the upper conveyer.

3. In apparatus of the character described,-

the combination with a pair of superposed endless conveyers having supporting rollers at their ends, of means for removing a strip or web from one of said conveyers as it ap proaches the delivery end thereof, and means including a roller located opposite to the supporting roller at the receiving end of the other conveyer and rotatable in a direction to convey the strip or web between it and said other conveyer y 4. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a pair of superposed reversely-moving endless conveyers having supporting rollers at their ends, of means delivery end of such conveyer, and a pair of ribbed rollers located opposite to the supporting roller at the receiving end of tie other conveyer and operative to engage and conduct the strip onto said other conveyer.

5. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with an endless conveyer, and a receiving conveyer located below its delivery end, said conveyers being movable in reverse directions, of a device located adjacent to the delivery end of the firstmentioned conveyer and operative to reverse the direction of movement of a strip or web advanced thereby and to direct such strip onto the receiving conveyer.

6. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with an endless conveyer having a supporting roller at its delivery end, and a receiving conveyer located below the delivery end of the first-mentioned conveyer, said conveyers being operative to advance a strip or web in opposite directions, of a ribbed roller mounted opposite to the supporting roller at the delivery end of the first-mentioned conveyer and rotatable in a direction to bend and deflect a strip or web advanced by such conveyer onto the receiving conveyer.

7. In drying apparatus of the character described, in combination, a relatively long narrow closed drying duct, means for advancing the mediumto be dried longitudinally therethrough. means for forcing drying air into one end of the duct, means for withdrawing air from the opposite end of the duct, and means located intermediately of the length of the duct for boosting the flow of air therethrough.

8. In drying apparatus of the character described, in combination, a relatively long, narrow closed duct, an open mesh conveyer for supporting and advancing a strip or web therethrough, heating means located inside the duct, and means for inducing a flow of drying air longitudinally through the duct at both the upper and lower sides of a strip or web on said conveyer.

9. In drying apparatus of the character described. in combination, a relatively long narrow duct, an open mesh flexible conveyer for supporting and advancing a wet paper web longitudinally through the duct,

idler rolls with anti-friction bearings supporting said conveyer at intervals in its 'length, heating means located inside the duct, and means for inducingthe flow of a current of drying air longitudinally through the duct and in paths above and below the web on the conveyer. p

10. In drying apparatus of the character described, in combination, a relatively long narrow duct having closed longitudinal walls, means for advancing a web longitudinally through the duct, means for inducing the flow of a current of drying medium longitudinally through the duct, and means for deflecting the longitudinally moving current of drying medium at longitudinal intervals into contact with the surface of the web.

11. In web drying apparatus, the combination of a relatively long narrow duct having closed longitudinal walls, means for advancing a web longitudinally therethrough. means for inducing the flow of a current of 'a drying medium longitudinally through the duct, and deflectors arranged at intervals along a longitudinal wall of the duct oppo site to one of the surfaces of the web and operative to divert such current into contact with said surface of the web.

12. In a'drying apparatus of the character described, the combination of a plurality of relatively long narrow individual drying duct-s arrangedv in superposed relation, conveyers in the respective ducts for advancing a strip successively through the different ducts, an air-transfer conduit con necting an end of one of said ducts to the adjacent end of another of said ducts, and

air individually through each duct.

13. In drying apparatus of the charac-- ter described, the combination of a plurality of relatively long narrow drying ducts arranged in superposed relation, conveyers for advancing a web in different directions and successively through the ducts, means for supplying air to said ducts and means for withdrawing air from said ducts and for inducing the flow of a current of air longitudinally and individually through each duct in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the web therein.

14. In drying apparatus of the character described, the combination of a plurality of relatively long narrow drying ducts arranged in superposed relation, conveyers for advancing a web in different directions and successively through the ducts, means for supplying air to said ducts and means for inducing the flow of a current of air individually and longitudinally through each duct in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the web therein.

15. In drying apparatus of the character described, the combination of a luralit-y of relatively long narrow drying ucts arranged in superposed relation, conveyers for advancing a web successively in different directions through the ducts, means for inducing a flow of a current of drying air through each duct, the drying air being transferred from one end of one of the ducts to the adjacent end of another duct, and.

drying means arranged to receive a wet grounded' paper strip from the grounding to operate on the dried grounded strip from the drying means.

17. In a Wall-paper making machine, the combination of a grounding machine, drying means arranged to receive a grounded paper strip from the grounding machine, a

printing machine arranged to receive and operate on the grounded strip delivered from said drying means, other drying means arranged to receive the grounded and printed strip from the printing -machine, and rolling means arran ed to receive the strip from the latter drylng means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 1111 hand.

y REUBEN J. RANDOLPH. 

